


A Promise at the Sea

by APastandFutureNerd



Series: Marriage (Post-Fall) [1]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Caring Hannibal Lecter, Cliche, Corny, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter, Ficlet, Fluff without Plot, Love, Loving Hannibal Lecter, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Murder Husbands, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Out of Character, Post-Canon, Post-Episode: s03e13 The Wrath of the Lamb, Post-Fall (Hannibal), Romance, Romantic Fluff, Supportive Hannibal Lecter, Sweet Fluff, Trauma, Will is a precious little teacup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-12 01:15:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18001016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/APastandFutureNerd/pseuds/APastandFutureNerd
Summary: Some time had passed since Hannibal and Will set off to a life in another world. After a seemingly never-ending chase through their own inferno they finally made it to paradise together. They seal their bond  beneath the starry sky in Argentina in front of the Atlantic ocean where they were once swallowed only to be reborn into something whole again.What if there was a happy ending?This is a romantic, sweet one-shot ficlet about a love that is not supposed to exist.





	A Promise at the Sea

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer:
> 
> I do not own these characters. They belong to Thomas Harris and the creators of the TV show. Furthermore due to some criticism about romanticising a toxic relationship: I am aware of the manipulative, abusive and toxic relationship of these characters in the show. This is a different take on them.  
> —————————————————  
> Hello!
> 
> I had a story in my mind where everything is finally good between Will and Hannibal.
> 
> It does contain hints of trauma and nightmares but in general it’s fluff.
> 
> Don’t we all crave for sweet fluff sometimes?
> 
> Enjoy!

**South East Coast, Argentina**

The ardent sun was about to set. A beautiful sight to behold as the sky was drenched in all shades of red and orange. Will Graham, his skin now tanned and kissed by the sun, overpowering the scars of his former life, was sitting on the white sand near the shore of the Argentine Sea somewhere at the coast in the southeast of Argentina. He wore a white shirt and black dress pants but he didn’t care about sand grains inside his clothes. The sand beneath his bare feet  was still warm as he dug his toes into it. The soft wind ruffled his deep brown hair and he enjoyed the breeze on his face, staring at the sea. From afar he could see the flukes of a group of whales which were roaming through the ocean. Will smiled at the sight of the mammals in the distance. His face was relaxed, free of care and worries. He smelled the scent of the ocean. Salt mingled with sea weed and fish. He heard the waves crashing against the shore. The cries of the seagulls in the air. Altogether relaxing and grounding sounds. Staying here was therapeutic for him. It had been Hannibal’s suggestion to move to a small house at the sea and he was grateful they had come here. Some time had passed since Hannibal and Will were off to a life in another world. After a seemingly never-ending chase through the inferno, crossing  and conquering their purgatory they finally made it to paradise together. At first it wasn’t easy. The memories of the past, of his former family, Molly and Wally always haunted Will at night in the first months following their disappearance. Luckily, they were presumed dead and all former bonds and links to the past finally broken.

There were nights when he couldn’t  find any sleep at all. When he cried and trembled. Nightmares – his old companions – would not let him go easily. But Hannibal was always there at his side, not giving up on him, always understanding and showing patience at his anger and depression. No, he had not been easy to handle. He promised to not let him go and he meant it as he always kept his promises.When the demons came back to haunt him, he helped him defeat them. But in this moment Will was free of the past and the trauma, the reciprocated conflicts leading to one disaster after another. A zero-sum game which had finally come to a happy ending in mutual understanding. He knew this was the right decision he had made. There would be no one else who could understand his mind, his feelings as well as Hannibal did. He heard footsteps approaching but he didn’t get up from the spot he was sitting on because Will knew from the pace and the sound that it was his soulmate.

"Lost in thought?”, Hannibal asked him warmly, putting a hand on his shoulder before sitting down at his side on the towel beneath Will. He was equally tanned and the sun had similar positive effects on his appearance as it had on Will’s. No longer the pale and peaky ghost he was back in Baltimore. His grey hair – once cut short – had the same lengths again before his imprisonment. He wore an elegant suit, matching the style of Will. Actually he had asked him to dress up for the occasion because he had planned a little surprise.

“Just enjoying the sunset,” Will replied, turning his head towards his soulmate, smiling at him fondly before nuzzling his head into his shoulder. The elder man smiled at the sight of his partner searching for intimacy, wrapping one arm around his upper body. "You’re looking into the wrong direction , Will,” Hannibal chuckled. His partner’s blue eyes were dreamy and full of love as he looked up into the maroon eyes of the man."No”, Will answered in his gentle soft voice,"I know exactly where I need to look." He planted a gentle kiss on the prominent cheek of Hannibal who enjoyed the touch of his lips on his face. "A shame. If you don’t pay attention, you are going to miss the best part right now.” Hannibal smirked amusedly and pulled him into a tight embrace."Nah”, replied Will, "It _was._ You replaced that part already."

He quirked his eyebrows at him, his blue eyes irresistible as always and smirked. Hannibal was tempted to kiss him on his pretty mouth. But not now. This was not the right moment. Just a little bit longer.

Hannibal rummaged secretly in his pocket with his other hand, searching for a certain item and made sure his partner would not notice. Then he quickly put it on the left side of the blanket they were sitting on. The sun was about to disappear at the horizon, engulfed by the sea just like every other day.A cycle to be always repeated by the sheer forces of the sun and the earth. In silence they watched the sky until the sun had gone and only the pale colours remained. Nightfall crept in and the first stars could be seen in the dusk.

“Will?” Hannibal asked, slightly nervous, while opening the velvet ring box. He knew that Will didn’t like grand gestures in public so he opted for a simpler gesture – yet no less meaningful. He didn’t know how he would react. What he would say. Whether bad memories would come to the surface again.  Yet it felt so right and his time for the proposal had finally come after waiting for such a long time. Here at the sea, in front of the same ocean where both had been reborn and baptized. With the crickets chirping in the pine trees next to the house.  

Hannibal’s heartbeat quickened and his hands were shaking slightly as they revealed the content. Two engagement rings made of finest silver, engraved with the first letters of their names.

The younger man tore his eyes away from the horizon and the ocean, giving Hannibal a questioning sideways look until his eyes fell on the ring box. His mouth fell open in disbelief and surprise and the purest joy. In the seconds that followed he felt like he was caught in a dream.

"H-Hannibal",Will exclaimed, embarrassed, flushing red, his eyes widening. He lowered his head for a moment before returning the gaze of his partner who was watching him attentively. Will could feel him tensing up. Very unusual for his companion who was always so calm and controlled.

Hannibal caressed the face of his partner, the fingers tracing along his cheeks down to his throat before he gave life to the words he had in his chest for a longer time, waiting to be uttered. A solemn and loving glow lay in his eyes. "My dearest Will. After all the bad times we have gone through in the past I feel that in the last months we have truly gotten closer to each other than ever before. We are one heart and one soul." He stopped for a moment, unable to go on before Will gave an encouraging smile and touched his chin with his finger. Hannibal smiled back, picking up his speech  and courage again.

"A new chapter has opened in our book. This life gave us this second chance to make everything right. And the only person I want to spend my lifetime with is you and only you. I promise to be there  for you when you need me. To love you. Forever. And make up for what I did."He paused, his maroon eyes glittering with tears at the memories of their past life.

"Oh, Hannibal.." Will sighed. He stared at him lovingly before he said: "But you already did, _sweetheart_. You saved my life and my soul in the last months. You forged me anew. The teacup.... is whole again." Will was crying now too, overwhelmed with the surprise and the emotion of the moment. He straightened his upper body, his face drew closer to that of Hannibal until their foreheads were touching. If someone took a closer look from behind, they would gaze to the sea through an invisible heart. A swan heart. Hannibal swallowed again. The next moment was the most intense one, he could feel it.

"Would you do me the honour to be my husband in this life and the life that may await us afterwards?"

"Yes." Hannibal couldn't suppress his tears any longer as he heard this word coming out of his mouth. "I’m already yours” Will continued quietly, “I have  always been and I’ll always be.“He held out his hand for Hannibal while drowning himself in the eyes of his lover.

"My heart is yours. And yours is mine." Hannibal whispered as he slid on the ring with the engraved “H” on Will’s ring finger. Will returned the gesture with nervous hands.

Beneath the starry sky their mouths pressed together in a soft and gentle kiss as they sealed their promise they swore to each other in front of the sea that once swallowed them, transforming them into something whole again.


End file.
